Vertical retort for



July 27, 1937. F. J. wEsT ET AL v ,088, VERTICAL RETORT FOR THECARBONIZATION OF COAL AND LIKE-MATERIALS Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2Shets-Sheet 1 July 27, 1937. F. J. WEST ET AL I VERTICAL RETORT FOR THECARBONIZATION COAL AND LIKE MATERIALS Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-SheaPatented July 27, 1937 asassz sar osris VERTICAL RETORT FOR THECARBONIZA- TION 0F COAL AND LEKE MATERIALS Frederick Joseph West andErnest West, Miles Platting,

Manchester, England, assignors to Wests Gas Improvement Company Limited,

Manchester, Englandga British Company Application February 27, 1936,Serial No. 66,096 In Great Britain March 4, 1935 3 Claims.

This invention relates .to vertical retorts for the carbonization ofcoal and like materials of the type in which a coke chamber is providedat the base of the retort, with a cut-01f plate for isolating the retortfrom the coke chamber when coke discharge is to take place, and with acoke discharge door which when it has been moved to its closed positioncan be tightened to make a gas tight joint with the coke chamber and canbe loosened to permit of its being readily opened when coke discharge isto take place. A retort of the said type is described in our priorUnited States Patent No. 2,072,392.

The object of our present invention is to provide means for preventingthe opening of the discharge door upon the coke chamber until the latterhas been isolated from the retort proper.

Our invention comprises the operative interconnection of the means bywhich the coke chamber is isolated from the retort proper, with themeans by which the discharge door is tightened upon its jointing face sothat the said door is automatically tightened when the cut-off orisolating plate is in its out-of-service position and loosened orreleased when the said plate is in its service or cut-off position,whereby opening of the discharge door is prevented until the charge inthe coke chamber is cut-off from the retort proper.

Referring to the two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a front elevation of part of aretort setting having our invention applied thereto in one convenientform.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the coke chamber at the base of theretort showing the parts to which our invention is applied.

In Figure 3, a indicates the coke chamber which is continuation of theretort b from which the coke chamber is adapted to be cut-off by thevalve or plate 0, having rack teeth d thereon engaged by a pinion e forthe purpose of moving the cut-off plate into position to isolate theretort from the coke chamber or as shown to allow coke to descend fromthe retort to the coke chamber ready for discharge. At the base of thecoke chamber a is a discharge door 1 which can be turned about its axisin the shaft 9 to open the lower end of the coke chamber for cokedischarge purposes. A plate h fulcrumed at h which rides upon the cokedischarge door serves to direct the coke to the right in the figure asit is being discharged. The plate it also protects the door against wearby the coke and against excessive heating.

The parts so far referred to will be found fully described in the priorspecification before referred to.

The discharge door 1 has a cylindrical bearing surface i which turnsabout eccentrics i secured upon the shaft 9. Each door is operated by aworm 7' gearing with the teeth of a sector is secured to the door.

The pinions e which operate the several cutoff plates c in the retortsat each side of a retort setting are upon a common shaft 112 which hasthereon a worm wheel n turned by a Worm 0 upon a shaft p. Upon the saidshaft is also a rack pinion. q with which engages a rack r held inengagement with the pinion by a roller .9 which permits the rack to rollabout its pinion as the rack moves up and down. The lower end of therack carrying member s is pivoted to an arm 25 secured to the shaft gcarrying the eccentrics z. The arrangement is such that when the shaft mis turned by the worm o and worm wheel n to place the cut-off plates inservice when they isolate the coke chambers a from the retorts b, therack r and member s cause the turning of the arm t, shaft g andeccentrics i so that the discharge door 1 is slightly lowered fromengagement with the base of the coke chamber and can then be turned bythe worm 7' and sector Ic to open it.

It will be seen therefore that the operation of putting a cut-off plateinto its service or cut-off position loosens the discharge door withrespect to the jointing face at the base of the coke chamher, so thatthe door can be readily opened, but until the cut-off plate is in itsservice or cut-off position, the discharge door is held firmly againstthe lower edges of the coke chamber and therefore cannot be opened. Inlike manner, when the door 1 has been closed, the operation of the worm0 will put the cut-off plates into their outof-service positions andsimultaneously by turning the eccentrics i, lock the doors in place bypressing them firmly against the base of the coke chamber.

Our improvement prevents the doors 1 being opened until the cut-offplates 0 are in action across the tops of the coke chambers and therebyprevents a discharge of a retort directly through the coke chamber.

The connections between the cut-off plates and eccentrics can beadjusted by the right and left hand screwed members u.

What we claim is:

1. Coke discharge mechanism for a vertical retort comprising a cokechamber at the base of so as to turn the said eccentric'inacirchlardirection to raise the said coke discharge door when the said cut-off plateis in its out-o fi-service position.

2. Coke discharge mechanism as claimedin claim 1 wherein the operativeinterconnection specified comprises an arm.-rotatable with theeccentric, a racked member pivoted to said arm and a rack pinion in meshwith the said racked member and in driving relation with the means tomove the cut-off plate specified.

3. Coke discharge mechanism for a vertical retort comprising a cokechamber at the base of the retort, a cut-off plate between said retortand said chamber, means toxmove said cut-oil plate into and out ofservice position, a coke discharge door in said coke chamber, a seatingon'said chamber for said door when closed, means to operate saiddoor,means to urge said door securely against the said seating when said dooris moved into its non-discharge position, and means interconnecting saiddoor tightening means with said cut-off plate moving means totightensaid'door against said seating when said cut-off plate is movedfrom its service position.

FREDERICK JOSEPH WEST. ERNEST WEST.

